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Tours Central America & the Caribbean Costa RicaCosta Rica Budget Whale Watching Trips & Packages

Costa Rica Budget Whale Watching Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

5 Costa Rica Budget Whale Watching Trips & Packages trips. Tours from 5 tour companies. 3 reviews.

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Costa Rica

By The Vacation Project

none

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Moderate

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Highlights

Curated itinerary to give you access to exclusive experiences
Visit one of the most remote corners of Costa Rica
Enjoy whale watching on a catamaran

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, Local Immersion & Homestays, National Parks, High Adventure, Scuba Diving, Volunteering & Community Service, Singles Travel, Eco, Sustainable & Green Travel, Transformative

What travelers are saying

"We went to a custom trip to Nepal with the Vacation Project in April and it was the best time of my life. Getting to know new people, traditions and culture was truly amazing. Our guide Rakesh was well prepared and made us feel like we were long time friends, which made the time in Nepal really special. Working with the children in Changu was amazing and all i can hope for is that i made an impact on their lifes, just like they made on mine. I can totally recommend a trip with TVP!"

Trip dates & details

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9 days From$1,899

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Costa Rica: Escape to Paradise

By MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek)

none

Private Guided

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Flexible schedule

Highlights

Explore the wonders of Manual Antonio National Park—one of the most beautiful parks in the world!
Sail by catamaran along the stunning Pacific coastline and snorkel amidst spectacular coral reefs
Enjoy whitewater thrills on the mighty Río Pacuare and zip line through the rainforest at the amazing Ríos Tropicales Lodge

Themes

Nature & Wildlife, National Parks

What travelers are saying

"First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfortable and happy (MTSobek tour guides are independent contractors. Tomomi also works for other Adventure/Tour companies) Secondly, Japan is beautiful, clean and the Japanese people are very welcoming. The hiking in the national parks was amazing. It could have been a truly five-star experience if MtSobek had not cut corners so egregiously. The website said (at the time) group tours are 5-22 people. The tour gets canceled if the minimum is not met. When I paid there were TWO other people booked-a mother and daughter duo. Shortly before our departure date I called to see if the tour would be cancelled. I wanted my money back but Mt Sobek was “pleased to say that the trip would not be canceled”. In other words, I could not get a refund. At the last minute a guy named Matt signed up so there were four of us. Five days into the trip Matt left and took a train back to Tokyo. I said to him “You realize Mt Sobek is not going to refund you”. He said, “I don’t care, Mt Sobek scammed us.” With tax, the tour costs $11,645 for 13 nights. For that price there is an expectation that the accommodations Mt Sobek chooses would be decent and clean. We all fully expected a ‘traditional Japanese experience’ which often means no private bath and 8 out of the 13 nights we slept on futon mats on the floor. However, Mt Sobek consistently booked us in the cheapest Ryokans (hotels) in each area in which we travelled. Most of these hotels were unclean and very out-dated. One Ryokan they booked us in was listed on a hotel website for $40 USD/night when there were much nicer accommodations nearby for $100 USD/night. (The Japanese yen is way down, the luxury Park Hotel in Tokyo was $200 USD/night. A comparable hotel would have been about $800/night in Austin.). We were the only people staying in several hotels that accomadated many more people. The most egregious example of MtSobek’s booking the cheapest rooms is when we were booked at a large traditional ski lodge at the base of a spectacular mountain. It was beautiful on the website but had two very different wings. One wing was modern, clean and beautiful with simple beds. The other wing was very old (similar to a cheap Motel 6 that had not been updated since the 1970’s). The carpet and bathrooms were disgusting and like many of the Ryocans where we stayed the futon mats seemed as though they had not been cleaned In 30 years. Only after our tour guide checked us in did we realize we had been booked in the cheap rooms. I asked Tomo why. Immediately someone from MtSobek reached out to me and said, “gosh, I’m sorry you did not realize you were going to have a traditional Japanese experience”. Really? “Traditional” experience depends upon one’s budget. In the US, “traditional” to some people may be the Marriott, a Motel 6 or the Four Seasons Hotels. We were paying for a Marriott experience and received the one-star Motel 6 experience. Upon arrival in Tokyo I expected to be met at the airport by a driver (as many tour companies do). However, several days before our arrival dates in Tokyo, MtSobek sent an email telling us how to locate taking a city bus from the bustling Tokyo airport. That is interesting if you do not speak Japanese. MtSobek cleverly uses great photography and elaborate descriptions of the national parks and the hiking while using terms like “traditional Japanese experience with tatami-mat sleeping” to disguise sub-standard accommodations. At one point we were looking on-line at the very hotel where we were staying and did not even recognize it from the website pictures. The hiking was amazing. The group size was disappointing with just the three of us. I would absolutely recommend a hiking tour through Japan, just not with MtSobek."

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6 days From$2,195

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Ultimate Costa Rica Hiking Adventure

By Adventures within Reach

preferred

Group Tour

Lodging level

Basic - 2 star

Physical level

Strenuous

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Highlights

Explore cloud forest hiking of Cerro de la Muerte
Experience El Brujo cloud forest hiking, transfer to Puerto Jimenez
Enjoy Trek Los Patos to Sirena Ranger Station in Corcovado
Experience the best wildlife hotspot in Costa Rica: Sirena Ranger Station in fabulous Corcovado.
Hike Sirena to La Leona Ranger Station

Themes

Nature & Wildlife, Hiking & Walking, Birding, National Parks, High Adventure

What travelers are saying

"Just got back from an incredible adventure. Bhutan was more than I could have ever expected. There was an abundance of good travel karma throughout the trip. The guide, Bhim, was great, very accommodating, and personalized the trip in many amazing ways, and though him I got to know the people and the culture close up and personal. The whole thing went off without a hitch. Bhutan was the most amazing place I have ever been."

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9 days From$1,695

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Costa Rica: Eco Rainforest Adventure

By Discover Corps

preferred

Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Moderate

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Highlights

Visit and Poas Volcano National Park
Head Into the Rainforest and learn about Conservation
VisitCorcovado National Park
Enjoy a Day at the Beach

Themes

Nature & Wildlife, National Parks, High Adventure

What travelers are saying

"Our trip started off with a lunch at Maya Gardens. We went to see the poultry in their pens while waiting for lunch, thinking it was a petting zoo. The poor birds did not have water or any indication that they ever had water. One of the turkeys was lying on it's side looking very sick. No one would give them water when I asked them to. The lunch was so awful I did not eat meat for the rest of the trip. I sent a video to Angela Bailey telling her this is not what we want to see when on a conservation trip and she acted like I was lying. Our guides were lazy and not caring about us. They took us to overpriced markets to get fleeced by the sellers there. At the anti-poaching farm tour, we had to walk over a bridge with wires on it, to keep wildlife in. One of our travelers, who was 65 years old, tripped over it and had to go to the hospital. No one warned her about the wires. Then, trying to get off the safari trucks, she was so very very sore and no guides helped her to get out of the truck. Completely appalling. The guides had very poor communication skills that worked for Discover Corps. I was forced to get vaccinated while in Kenya, because the laws changed while we were there. I asked if I could try to get out of the airport first and if I could not then get the vaccine. Discover Corps said "If you choose to do that, you are on your own". The conditions of medical in Kenya is not like the US and it was awful. The airport didn't even ask me for my vaccine card on the way out. DC could have worked with me on trying this first before forcing me to get this vaccine in a poor 3rd world country. Also, my vaccine card had the wrong date of birth and my name did not match what is on my passport. The doctor tried to get me to tip the nurse giving me the vaccine. The guides dropped us off curbside at the airport and left us there to navigate. I will NEVER use this company again. They did not have my back on anything that happened and Angela Bailey never contacted me to follow up about my experience after this trip was over."

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8 days From$3,995

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A Cruise: Valparaiso to Los Angeles

By Wings Birding Tours

none

Large Ship Cruise

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Flexible schedule

Highlights

Visit the tropical dry forest of Montibelli Nature Reserve
We’ll drive south to visit some coastal wetlands and agricultural fields full of new species
First opportunity to see Inca Tern, Humboldt Penguin, Guanay Cormorant, Peruvian Booby, and Peruvian Diving-Petrel
Chile, have a long drive to the remote Frey Jorge National Park
Fabulous birding around Pisco, Peru, a place mostly known for the eponymous Peruvian national drink, pisco, a grape brandy produced in the area

Themes

Nature & Wildlife, Birding, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

Trip dates & details

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18 days From$3,100

Custom Designed Trip

Lodging level

lodgingLevelName

Physical level

N/A

Highlights

Fully customized trip based on preferences
Matched with a local specialist
From $200 per person per day

From$200per person per day

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Self-Guided / Independent Tour

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Costa Rica Budget Whale Watching Trips & Packages Reviews

Amanda

Oct 2017

Written on

Traveling to Costa Rica with TVP was unlike any travel experience I have had before

Traveling to Costa Rica with TVP was unlike any travel experience I have had before. Prior to the TVP trip in September, I had never been to Costa Rica or been part ...

Tour: Costa Rica

Natalia

Sep 2017

Written on

Have you ever felt like the country you're visiting surprises you every day?

Have you ever felt like the country you're visiting surprises you every day? I have and it was thanks to The Vacation Project! I had been to Costa Rica about seven t...

Tour: Costa Rica

Alex

Sep 2017

Written on

The most unique and meaningful trip I can remember going on

The most unique and meaningful trip I can remember going on. I can't emphasize the authenticity of the experience enough. Our guide was incredible and introduced us ...

Tour: Costa Rica

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